Trackunit targets specialty equipment with new management tool

Trackunit has launched a fleet management tool for specialty equipment such as generators, pumps, chillers and compressors. Specialty is a fast expanding segment of the equipment rental market worldwide, and particularly in the USA.

The construction technology firm said the Specialty Equipment Solution would solve a “connectivity gap in one of the fastest growth areas of off-highway construction.” Specialty often involved extra levels of engineering and technical expertise than more standard products such as earthmoving equipment, and often used in difficult or unusual environments, such as in disaster relief or long-term rental sites.

Trackunit has launched a new IoT solution for monitoring specialty equipment, such as power generators. (Image: Trackunit)

The new release means that Trackunit’s IoT platform now supports Modbus, which it said was a widely used protocol for specialty equipment.

“We see a rising demand for connecting specialty equipment requiring more expertise, including engineering capabilities,” said Lærke Ullerup, Trackunit’s chief product and marketing officer.

“But it is already evident that it can deliver a clear ROI as construction responds to customer demands and it is only right that businesses should be looking to get the most out of this sector by being able to track and analyze what is going on with their machines at all times.

“With our Specialty Equipment Solution, we’re capturing key controller data from complex machines like generators, pumps, chillers, heaters and compressors which has in the past been a real challenge in IoT applications. We’re effectively helping to close off this connectivity gap.”

Ullerup said the firm had already seen a reduction in paperwork and insurance costs since the new solution was launched; “When, for example, these machines are being used in a remote area or in difficult terrain such as a disaster-recovery site, there has already been a 20% reduction in travel costs as operators are immediately able to locate machinery.

“Additionally, when rentals lease out their machines, they know exactly how long they are working,” she said. “For example, in one use case, the solution tracked eight large generator units which had been pencilled in for single shifts but which were actually shown to be doing double or triple shifts.

“That enabled accurate billing that would equate to an extra USD150,000 in revenue over the quarter.